The Boston Celtics earned a statement win over the Miami Heat.
But there's no way they get it without production off the bench. Specifically, from Dennis Schröder, Romeo Langford and Aaron Nesmith.
"The bench scoring is what brought it home for us," head coach Ime Udoka said after the win.
Schröder led the unit with 14 points, five rebounds, six assists and two steals, with a single-game plus-minus of +26 in the win. But the guard has played well for Boston all season so far.
Meanwhile, Nesmith and Langford stepped up in the absence of Josh Richardson, who missed the game with a foot contusion. The young wings took full advantage of that opportunity.
Langford was +25 for Boston with 12 points, two rebounds and an assist in 27 minutes played. Nesmith, who saw 18 minutes of play, scored 13 points with three rebounds and an assist.
"Guys from the bench stepped up," Schröder said. "Aaron, I mean he didn't play for a couple of days, he did a great job, just you know, staying ready, working hard every day and knocking down those shots. So, it's coming together slowly."
Nesmith and Langford might have more chances to crack the rotation more regularly, with Richardson getting X-rays and Jaylen Brown leaving the game Thursday with hamstring tightness.
We'll see how things shape up before Saturday, where the Celtics travel to Dallas to face the Mavericks.
